Web based help file creator

For experienced technical writers, HelpSmith provides the ability to use JavaScript and CSS styles, Build Tags to generate different versions of the same help file, and a Project Merge tool that can be used for translation or collaborative work.

In addition, the built-in Image Tool allows you to capture screenshots, annotate images, and also to generate topic drafts for user interfaces. Finally, HelpSmith provides a modern user-interface with a slight learning curve, and includes sample help projects that will help you get started with the product quickly.

Doc-O-Matic Author. Despite the comparatively low price, all important features that you can expect from a professional help authoring tool are present: Conditional text, text snippets and variables, complete control over layout and formatting both in HTML and PDF, Unicode support, XML source files, and the creation of full-featured PDF manuals without the need for any additional tool or converter. Supports snippets and conditional content. Price level: free open source.

Documentation format and toolchain using Git and Markdown. Provides web or desktop editors Markdown or AsciiDoc , team authoring support plus version control and multi language support. Templates for API documentation, knowledge bases, and manual documentation.

Price level: diverse. Topic templates can be edited to customize the output. Compilation can be run from the command line. In some ways quite similar to HelpStudio. Supports styles. Can generate basic PDF output. No conditional text, no variables, no snippets. Unicode compatible. Platform independent authoring tool for creating JavaHelp. Help Crafter. Basic help authoring tool for the Mac. Simple commercial static site generator that uses Markdown files. Other than most open source help generators that use Markdown, this tool comes with its own built-in editor and can easily be installed with the help of a Windows setup program.

No export to PDF or other printable formats. No advanced features. WinCHM Pro. No advanced features, such as conditional text. CHM Editor. Also supports machine translation of existing CHM files via internet machine translation services. Help Generator. The following tools can create some basic documentation semi-automatically.

Also, you can use the output as a good starting point and add more information later. Automatically captures all windows of a program, adds callouts to all controls visible in each window, automatically labels these callouts, and then builds a fully linked online help system.

All you need to do is to revise the automatically added text and to add some more detailed descriptions where this is necessary.

Records a workflow in popular business software and turns the recording into multi-language learning materials, such as written instructions, video walk throughs, simulations, and on-screen assistants. Description supplied by vendor: ClickLearn is the market leading solution for creating user instructions, e-learning and process videos for business software.

The ClickLearn solution produces your walk-throughs in eight different formats from a single source, including written documentation, hands-on-labs, videos with automated effects and voice over.

On top of that ClickLearn has a Virtual Assistant that guides the users within the live system. Simply record your work process in Dynamics.

With one click, ClickLearn produces your walk-throughs in all formats and in more than 45 languages and dialects. It creates a complete e-learning portal with full tracking and scoring and upgrades your work instructions as you upgrade your Dynamics platform with no manual effort on your part.

Includes a help capture tool that generates topic pages of any part of a Windows user interface. For some program development platforms, most notably Visual Studio, there is an add-in available that scans the application user interface, generates a topic page for each form and links the pages for context-sensitive help.

Many general help authoring features are also available, so this software is actually a mixture of a rapid help development tool and a conventional help authoring tool. Enables you to take screen captures of a software and to easily create step-by-step instructions based on the images. When the documented software changes, screen captures can be updated with minimum effort. Especially useful for creating task-based documentation. Creates step-by-step software guides by capturing the actions performed on screen.

Datango Performance Suite. From a series of screen captures builds screencasts, interactive tutorials, and also printed documentation. Price level: not published. Records the actions performed in a program, from this creates documentation in various output formats, and delivers the information to the users.

Creates online tutorials based on screen captures. There is also a free version available for public tutorials. Makes it easy to create simple, short instructions based on annotated screen captures, which can be an efficient solution particularly for support purposes. HelpSmith can add screen captures with automatic reference labels. The following help authoring tools use Microsoft Word or FrameMaker for editing the texts, or convert existing Word or FrameMaker user manuals into online help:.

WebWorks ePublisher. Easy to use, unmatched in performance but also in its price. High flexibility coupled with low customization effort. Can even handle messily formatted documents quite well. Adobe FrameMaker. FrameMaker itself has some good export options for creating online help. Rather complex installation and customization required.

Price level: free freeware. Website generator and document manager for Word documents. Lets you manage and edit each part of a long text as a separate document, and then merge them into one. Help Producer. Merely adds a small toolbar to Microsoft Word. Extensive customization possibilities templates, style sheets, themes. COM scripting object model lets you control the output and automate complex tasks.

Doc Converter Pro. Templates give you control over how the documents are converted. Splits the source documents by title formats. Automates the process of creating and maintaining documentation particularly for complex components or XSD schemas. High degree of automation and flexibility.

Doc-O-Matic Professional. Professional documentation tool, particularly for source code documentation and for developer documentation. HTML output can be customized to a high degree.

Good support for single source publishing. Can also create high-quality PDF manuals. Generates properly formatted method and type documentation from source code comments. The GhostDoc Pro Enterprise Edition also includes a feature that lets you add conceptual content pages in your help files. Outputs to various online formats. The built-in spelling checker can check both your comments and your code for misspellings.

Although this tool shows its strengths especially when it comes to documentation of source code and program libraries, it also meets the requirements of technical writers who create end user documentation.

Supports discrete information types and templates and gives you full control over the generated HTML code. Can also create clean Microsoft Word documents, including paragraph and character styles. Another advantage is the built-in multiple user support. Directly integrated into Visual Studio. Can automatically read namespaces, types and their members and documentation comments in your code and transform them into MSDN-style documentation. In addition you can also also add and edit your own topics.

Documentation Insight. Delphi source code documentation solution. Automatically creates documentation from OpenAPI files. This documentation can include code samples in various programming languages, guides written in Markdown, embed try-it-out functionality, and both private and public documentation in a single place with granular roles and permissions. Create a static web site that contains both conceptual documentation from Markdown files and API documentation from.

NET source code and source code comments. Other than many similar tools also runs on Windows. Read the Docs. Transforms and hosts documentation written in reStructuredText or Markdown with the help of Sphinx.

Adds various extra features for professional use. Microsoft Sandcastle. Produces MSDN-style documentation by scanning source assemblies. Optionally also integrates XML documentation comments. Helps you create good-looking API documentation, based on Markdown. Features include an excellent navigation menu and syntax highlighting of code samples.

Documentation and code samples can be shown side by side. If you provide code samples in different programming languages, you can add tabs for switching between these languages. Swagger UI. Automatically generates documentation described in a Swagger specification. I have only been working for a day and yet have almost an entire help system written for my software package, and that time includes the slight learning curve for your product.

The Project Merge feature is another feature of help maker that you can use for many purposes such as collaborative working on a single help file project, or for translation an existing help project into a different language. Using different merge modes such as Add, Update , you can import either new topics or modified topic from sub-projects handled by other writers. Thus, you can always keep the master help project up-to-date.

After you have created a help system such as CHM file for desktop application or online Web Help system, you may need to integrate it with your desktop application, web application, or with website and provide context-sensitive Help. With the help file maker software such as HelpSmith, you can easily solve this task.

Also, you will find working examples of code that you can adapt for your own needs. As to the Web Help output format supported by the help system maker tool, you can use its native support for integration with an application or website. All of the actions such as opening a specific help topic by URL are described in the user manual for the product. The help file maker application allows you to automate the process of compiling help files and documents.

Using the command line parameters, you can specify the help project file to compile, output help format, and build tags to use for a particular compilation. In addition, the command line compilation allows you to replace variables used in the help project by providing a file with alternative values.

The help maker software, HelpSmith, provides modern interface which is very similar to Office applications. This allowed the developers of the help authoring tool to combine a powerful set of features within an easy-to-use program.

Thus, using a help authoring tool with a slight learning curve, even beginner help writers can start creating help files and documentation quickly.

As a multi-format help file maker application, HelpSmith provides all of the features needed for help authoring purposes. Thanks to a simple user interface which is combined with a rich feature-set, anyone can start creating help files, online help systems, or printed documentation such as PDF files easily.

HelpSmith is developed by Divcom Software, a well-known developer of documentation and help file making software used by thousands of technical writers and developers.

Help Authoring Tools, Tips, and Techniques. Choose a Help Authoring Tool. Creating a Help File: Checklist. Click on the screenshot to view it in full size. Key Features Below we have described the application's key features, so you can decide if this help maker tool suits your own needs.

Built-in word processor with a spell-checker The full-featured word processor integrated into the help maker software makes it possible for you to write topics and edit topic templates directly in your help authoring tool. Built-in word-processor with a spell checker to write help file content. Table of Contents tool to make help file structure. Table of Contents and Index Editors The Table of Contents or TOC editor with drag-n-drop support allows you to quickly create the structure of your help file by adding topics, heading items or chapters , links to existing help topics, and external links for example to an URL as well.

Graphic and Video Formats When you are creating a help file in the help maker application, you can easily add images or videos to your help topics. Use images and videos in your help files. Media repository tool to manage image and video files. Single media repository tool The media repository is a unique tool for a help file maker program, which is used to manage help project's image and video files.

Quick overview of HelpSmith key features combined in an easy-to-use help authoring tool with a slight learning curve. Creating Help for User Interfaces Automatically. The unique solution that you can use to automate the process of writing documentation for user interfaces. Latest Posts and News HelpSmith 9. October 17, HelpSmith 9.

August 4, March 31, Various annotations for images: rectangles, ellipses, arrows, balloons, lines, text labels, control annotations for UI elements, and other objects.

Hotspots to create clickable areas on an image to link to a topic, or to an external URL address. Crop Tool to modify a captured screenshot by removing unwanted parts of the image. The ability to capture the mouse cursor. Flexible settings to customize the appearance of annotations.